Third rail for electric railways.



PATENTED SEPT. 27, 1904.

A. F. CHASE.

THIRD RAIL FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 17. 1904:.

NO MODEL.

mm ran QZZMZ 3 674% WI TNESSES TINTTED STATES Patented September 27,1904.

PATENT OEEioE.

ALBERT F. CHASE, OF HADDONFIELD,

NE'W JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- THIRD RAIL FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 770,737, datedSeptember 27, 1904.

Application filed March I7, 1904.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT F. CHASE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Haddonfield, in the State of New J ersey,'have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Third Rails for ElectricRailways, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification.

My invention relates to third-rail conductors for electric railways, andhas for its object to provide a third rail of that character which shallbe capable not only of performing its primary function as a conductor ofpropelling current, but shall be provided with superposed flanges andwings integral therewith adapted to operate as a shield to protect therail conductor, and especially its contactsurface, from all foreignobjects, such as accumulations of snow, ice, water, &c.

My invention also comprises, in connection with my new rail conductor,an improved hanger to support the rail, a contact-shoe to receive thecurrent from the rail, with asupporting device therefor, the wholeconstituting a system in which my new form of third rail may be employedto the greatest advantage. These adjunctive elements constituting thesystem will form the subject of a separate application for LettersPatent, the present invention intended to be described and claimedherein being the improved third-rail conductor now to be described andthe distinguishing novel features of which will be pointed out in theclaims.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my said invention, Figure 1is a transverse vertical section through the rail, and Fig. 2 adiagrammatic view in section illustrating suitable adjunctive devicesfor supporting the rail and enabling it to perform its intendedfunctions. Fig. 3 illustrates a simple and effective method of producingthe depending conductor and its protecting-cover as'an integralstructure.

Referring to Fig. 1 of said drawings, the contact portion of the rail isthe depending portion A, and the contact-surface is the under face athereof. Said depending portion has Serial No. 198,566. (No model.)

its widest part at said under face and of course 5 is constructedthereat of a width proportionate to the face of the contact-shoe E, (seeFig. 2,) intended to receive the propelling current from the rail. Theupper part of the depending portion A, which is the rail proper.preferably narrows toward the top into a neck like form B, terminatingin afiat top (J, from which spread outward on each side twooppositelydisposed flanges C C, and from these extend wings (Z d, whichare preferably straight and must incline downward and outward and are ofsuch length as to bring their lower ends in or about the samehorizontalplane as the base or contact-face a of the rail proper. Fig. 3illustrates a method by which when the said elements are constructedintegral the concrete device may be easily and cheaply rolled. In saidFig. 3 the black lines d d show the inverted base-flange of the railextended on each side, these flanges being then rolled down intoultimate position to form the wings of the protecting-shed, as shown bythe dotted lines in said Fig. 3. In each of the flanges C C arebolt-holes e c, drilled vertically through the same, to enable mytl1ird-rail conductor to be mounted to the rail-hanger F. (See Fig. 2.)

It will be seen that this construction of third rail provides in itselfa perfect water-shed over the rail proper and may be made integraltherewith, the downwardly-inclined extend- 3O ing wings also protectingthe conductor laterally. It is simple in construction for theperformance of both its primary and its secondary function and is rolledas one integral structure. It can be insulated without difli- 5 cultyfrom the hanger, whether constructed as an integral structure, as inFig. 1, or in two parts, as in Fig. 2.. In Fig. 2 I have shown apreferred means of supporting it and of arranging it relatively to thenecessary rail- 9 hanger F and the necessary contact-shoe E and itssupporting devices H; but other means may of course be employed for thatpurpose consistent with so arranging my new thirdrail conductor that itsrail proper shall be in a depending position with its adjunctive partsconstituting the water-shed over and each side of the same.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A third-rail conductor, for use in electric third-rail systems,consisting of the combination with a'depending contact portion, of asuperposed. protecting-shed consisting of a flat portion withoppositely-disposed overhead flanges, and with downwardly-inclined wingsproceeding from said flanges.

2. A third-rail conductor having a protecting-shed integral therewith,consisting of a substantially rectangular rail-surface terminating attop in a necked portion with a flat head having laterally-extendingflanges proeeeding therefrom and with downwardly and outwardly extendingwing-like plates proceeding from the outward ends of the flanges.

3. A third-rail conductor having a protecting-shed integral therewith,consisting of an inverted T-rail having its base-flanges, next to theweb portion, prolonged and bent to form downwardly-projecting wingsextending coincident with the horizontal plane of the conductor. I

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature this 27th dayof February,

ALBERT F. CHASE. Witnesses:

- STANLEY W. RUsK,

H. T. FENTON.

